The Risks of Meddling
by Scififan33
Summary: Huddled together in Hueco Mundo, Kisuke comes up with a brilliant plan to keep them safer. They should have know it didn't come without risks, especially when travelling between the worlds and especially if Ichigo was within five feet. Oops? Pairings undecided but mentions of slash at least
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_I know, another one. Been watching and reading Bleach lately so inspiration is flowing. _

**Chapter 1**

Ichigo sighed and leant against Shinji, huddled with him under a cloak to try and stay warm. Days in Hueco Mundo were cold enough, the nights dropped below freeing far too often. Huddled in the sand, there wasn't a lot they could do to improve their circumstances, they were always on the move, never staying in one place for more than a day or two. Any time they tried they ended up under attack and having to leave almost everything behind. It was funny that they were safest here, in the enemies homeland, and yet the very nature of the place made it difficult if not impossible to track them.

It was all the Central 46's fault they were stuck there. He had done what he had been born to do, he had fought Aizen, weakened him enough for Urahara's Kido to seal him, and then the bastard had been locked away. After that he hadn't really thought of the madman, too busy dealing with the loss of his powers and the pain, then the Fullbringers had given him hope only to snatch it all away. He didn't remember much after that until Rukia had stabbed him, again. Feeling his power rush through him for the first time in over a year… it had been euphoric and sobering all at once. He had been grateful and smiled at the Captains and Geta-boshi, all the while understanding the truth, he had only gotten his powers back because he had passed their little loyalty test and because they had use for him again. Within a week the Quincy had attacked, beginning the fifteen year-long war.

That had been the war that claimed his family, his Dad dying to defend the twins, Ryūken at his side, having sensed the attack and come to help. The Quincy had overwhelmed the two men but what they did after they all died was worse, none of his family would ever be reincarnated or move to Soul Society. The Quincy had turned their Spiritual weapons on them and destroyed their souls. He had gotten there too late to do anything but hear Yuzu's last scream, sending him into a rage. Only two Quincy involved had made it away from his old home alive, the rest had fallen to his blade and a materialised Shiro.

Ten years into the war, with Soul Society in ruins around them, some idiot got the idea of fighting a madman with another and had released Aizen. Kyōraku had been beyond mad when they had realised what had happened. He had been Soutaicho since Yamamoto had been killed by Yhwach himself during the first invasion by the Wandenreich, a job the once laid back man had admitted he had never wanted, despite being the old man's chosen successor for so long. He had died in battle two years after Aizen's release and Ichigo still wasn't entirely sure who had killed the man, a Quincy…or Aizen.

As far as Ichigo was concerned, the only positive about the war was learning the truth of his heritage and his Mom's death. In doing that he had finally gained his true Zanpakutō. Having the Old Man and Shiro in their proper roles within his soul and blades…he felt complete in a way he never had before. But even that hadn't been enough, not to defeat the Quincy King and his heir…and hadn't it been a shock, seeing Ishida at his side. After everything they'd been through it had hurt, even more when the other had led an attack on Orihime and Chad. To defend her, Chad hadn't hesitated, buying time for the Visored to show up and get them to safety. When Ishida had shot Yhwach in the back in the Soul King's Palace it had been such a relief, to know he hadn't been that bad of a judge of character. Between the two of them, plus Aizen and Kisuke, Yhwach had finally fallen.

For a brief week they had thought it was over, that there would be peace…and then Aizen had killed Byakuya and Rukia when the two had been meeting to begin the rebuild. Byakuya had been Kyōraku's replacement while Rukia had been Captain of the Sixth. Ichigo had been given the Thirteenth part way through the war, after Ukitake had given his life to stabilise the Worlds. It had been weird, but three years into the war he had felt his connection with his body fade away, it had nearly cost him his head as he had stumbled, gasping. Shinji had saved him then, taking out his attacker. They had returned to the Living World to find his dead body inside Urahara's shop, no obvious cause of death. Kisuke had theorised that it had been because he had spent too much time out of it and in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. So when Kyōraku had offered him a place, he had accepted it, first in the Fifth as Shinji's lieutenant to learn the ropes and then finally as a Captain. He'd been running late to the meeting, when he'd gotten there it had been to find the two Kuchiki's already dead, blood cooling.

The second war with Aizen wasn't really a war at all. The Divisions had been too badly depleted, too badly weakened, to stand against the wanna be god. Ichigo, Orihime, Shinji, Lisa, Rose, Love, Renji, Kisuke, Starrk and Lilynette, Harribel, and Nel had teamed up and attacked him without stop for several weeks. They had been forced into retreat and on the run when Aizen had formed an army out of surviving Shinigami and Hollows. Soul Society was under their control now thanks to the fledgling government capitulating to Aizen. Since then they had been hunted, their numbers fluctuating as people were killed and others joined up.

At the moment there was just Starrk and Lilynette, Nel, Shinji, Lisa, Kisuke and himself. There were days Ichigo wished he could just stop feeling, stop seeing the deaths of his friends and family. Orihime…..she had tried so hard and in the end she had come closer than anyone else in stopping Aizen, only to be stabbed in the back by one of Aizen's Shinigami. Ichigo had lost it then, Hollowfying fully, and destroying all those with Aizen and even wounding the psycho. That had been two years ago, they'd barely seen Aizen himself since then, he preferred sitting back and throwing cannon fodder at them. Unfortunately, it was working. Even with those of them who could work as one person armies, he could create armies of Hollows without end. Their forays into the Living World for supplies had shown where he was getting the souls from, Karakura was gone, the whole of Tokyo was a ghost town.

"I'm sorry," Shinji whispered and Ichigo shifted to look at him.

"For what?"

"You shouldn't have been dragged into all this."

Ichigo snorted. "Right, then I would have been eaten by a Hollow, grabbed by Aizen at some point, or maybe even Yhwach for his army without ties to the Shinigami, or hey, dead with everyone else in Karakura. Besides, it wasn't your fault. It was Dad and Kisuke and even Aizen."

"Maybe, but we knew the plan," Shinji argued, shaking his head as Lilynette rolled over, elbowing Starrk in the face before settling again. "We could have approached you earlier, helped out sooner."

"Maybe, but maybe it wouldn't have changed anything," Ichigo told him firmly, there was no point playing the blame game, not anymore.

Ichigo shifted and Shinji tucked closer as the wind picked up. It had been weird, when Ichigo had first overtaken him in height, but the kid had still been alive back then, still growing. In the end Ichigo had matched his Father for height while keeping his lighter build. There were no personal boundaries anymore, hadn't been since early in the war, Shinji had seen more naked people since then than he'd ever wanted to. No one ever said a word about who sought comfort with who either, in their world you took what happiness you could. He felt Ichigo's arm go around him, pulling him even closer so that the cloak could be better wrapped around them both and he leant his head on a lean shoulder, trusting Ichigo to keep watch as he began to doze lightly.

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Ichigo jolted awake as Kisuke let out a cry of triumph, hearing others stir at the noise as well, hands on their weapons. He felt Shinji touch his shoulder and forced himself to calm, the half formed mask fading from his face as he stood up. He stretched out the kinks in his muscles since there appeared to be no danger, even as Starrk grumbled over lost sleep while Lisa smacked the back of Kisuke's head. She grabbed a cloak and went to curl up with Nel, her watch done now. Ichigo and Shinji moved over to Kisuke, peering over his shoulders.

"So what was the heart attack for?" Shinji demanded, obviously annoyed at being woken before his watch.

Kisuke looked up and grinned at them, spreading out his notes. "A way to cut down on supply runs and collect more each trip."

Ichigo blinked, if that was true then that would seriously limit the risks they took. Kisuke was the only one in the group unable to open a Garganta himself so he never went on the trips, just provided a list of what he needed. Ichigo and Starrk did the most, since they were able to defend themselves the best from any possible attackers, because they always came when they went on supply runs. Renji had been killed on one, cornered and separated from Lisa, unable to make his own escape. He had taken out several Arrancar in the process though which had lessened the pressure on the group for a few months. "How?"

Kisuke was proud of his work, though he missed Tessai and Hachi's expertise in Kido, they would have gotten this done a lot earlier. Tessai had been his best friend since childhood, just like Yoruichi. He had never dreamed he would be the last one left, yet here he was, and they were gone. Tessai and the kids had died when the shop was hit by the Quincy, he had died trying to defend the children after the protections had been overwhelmed. Hachi had fallen half way through the war while healing Hiyori and Love. That had left him as one of their better casters since the Kido corps had been decimated by then. He was a genius, yes, but he had always focused more on science and after his exile, on destroying what Ichigo called the 'evil marble'. He'd been forced to branch out a lot, looking at areas of research previously ignored. The culmination of a lot of that study was the formulas spread across the flimsy bits of paper before him. "Simple, we apply this to bags of some sort, any sort of container really. The space within will be double, maybe even triple, what it was originally, and it will also keep what is placed within from aging, so no spoilt food."

Ichigo blinked and glanced at Shinji who grinned. Shinji had heard of similar things but never on this scale. If Kisuke could really pull it off then it would make their lives a lot easier.

"Now then, I've made these, all we need are bags to test them with," he stood up, dusting off the sand, not that it really helped in a desert.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked, getting up again as well and Shinji groaned but followed them.

"To the Living World of course, we need bags with which to ensure this works as planned," he answered absently and Ichigo sighed.

"Kisuke…."

"I know, I can't open a Garganta, but I am going." He reached up and then grimaced, he hadn't worn a hat in years and yet he still occasionally reached for it.

Ichigo and Shinji exchanged a look, speaking without needing to say a word. Finally, Ichigo groaned but nodded and went to speak with Starrk while Shinji opened a Garganta. Ichigo led the way through to Karakura, the path under his feet stable as they ran. "How many bags are we grabbing?"

"As many as we can carry," Kisuke answered absently, going over the papers and then he fumbled one. Shinji reached out to grab it, but it hit the path beneath their feet and lit up like a mini star. "Oh," was all Kisuke got out before the world went white.

_TBC…._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_Deciding when they would end up has been driving me nuts._

**Chapter 2**

Shinji felt himself slam into something and he jerked upright immediately, breathing heavily as he realised he was alone. His head hurt and he ran his fingers though his hair, trying to focus. Ichigo…Kisuke…they'd been together! He scrambled up, fighting to calm down and not panic. He stumbled in the dark, his senses were all messed up, he couldn't feel them. Kisuke was one thing, but Ichigo? He could always feel his fellow Visored, even after he had learnt to better hide his power. His hand brushed Sakanade and he grabbed her, before running, whoever had taken them had been dumb to leave him his Zanpakutō.

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Rose blinked and put aside the sheet music he'd been writing as he felt Shinji's Reiatsu go crazy. He got up right as Shinji bolted into the rooms, eyes wide and he frowned. Had his Hollow attempted something while he was asleep? His eyes skipped right over Rose who was relieved to hear doors opening as the others were woken. Shinji saw the door and ran for it and Rose moved to intercept him. "Shinji," he called as he got between him and the door, no sign of his mask, but something was definitely wrong. His eyes were wild, and he was almost panting for breath…he was panicking. He held his hands out, open, unarmed, even as the others reached the main room of their warehouse. "Shinji look at me," he called firmly, trying to get through to him only to find himself suddenly airborne.

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Shinji was vaguely aware of someone trying to stop him, but he threw them aside and ran outside the building, looking around even as he suddenly felt a familiar presence and took off running towards it. Seconds later Kisuke was in front of him, Benihime in hand. They slammed into each other, breathing heavily as they assured themselves the other was alive and well.

"Ichigo?" Kisuke demanded and Shinji shook his head.

He reached out, seeking the presence of the younger Visored. There! He took off, Kisuke on his heels, dropping down into an alley to see Ichigo sprawled on the ground, limp, but his chest moved regularly with breath. They moved to his side, Kisuke's hands shining green as he ran them over him, looking for injuries even as Shinji gently let free a little of his Hollow's power, nudging at Ichigo and he was rewarded with a groan, amber eyes fluttering open. He cupped Ichigo's face in one hand, grounding him, and Ichigo blinked up at him before moving to sit up.

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"What happened?" He demanded, looking to Kisuke and Shinji looks over as well. He pushed up and Shinji steadied him when he swayed. "Where are we?" it was obvious they were in the living world as the air was very different. And then he spotted a familiar building across the street and blanched in shock, it wasn't possible.

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"Ichigo?" Kisuke barked in alarm, glancing over to see what he did, and his own eyes widened even as Shinji turned as well. There, at the end of the alley, was a very familiar building and yet it was impossible. The Kurosaki clinic had been destroyed long ago. So how could they be seeing it? Kisuke reached out with his senses but could sense no one familiar.

"Kisuke?" Shinji asked.

"I can't sense Isshin," he admitted and then grabbed Ichigo's elbow as he swayed again, amber eyes wide with shock.

"That…" Ichigo stammered, eyes wide. Shinji reached out and gripped his shoulder. It wasn't the Kurosaki clinic and yet it was the same building.

"Kisuke, what the hell did that paper do to us?" the oldest Visored asked and the scientist swallowed.

"With the evidence so far provided, my best guess would be time travel," he admitted, no matter how impossible it should be, the evidence was stacking up.

"Then how can I be an adult?" Ichigo demanded, if this was before his family owned the building then shouldn't he have ceased to exist or something?

"That I don't know."

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Shinji frowned, going over everything that had happened since he'd woken in the dark. "Ah…I think I owe Rose an apology," he winced. He was pretty sure it was Rose who had tried to stop him leaving, obviously he'd been worried by Shinji's reaction, they probably thought his Hollow was trying something. Thankfully, all three of them were used to hiding, even when in camp. He got the other two moving, away from what would be the Kurosaki home, not wanting to risk someone coming outside and seeing them, just in case the building was in Kurosaki family hands at this point, whenever they were. "We need to find out exactly when we are," he told them and Ichigo moved, grabbing something off the ground, handing it over. An old newspaper, that was handy. The date was May 3rd, 1947…they had gone back further than they could have imagined.

The Visored had only existed for forty years, no wonder Rose had tried to stop him, at this point in time they had still been having trouble. At least it meant only Tessai was at the shop, especially since Ichigo still wore the Shihakushō of a Shinigami. If the Visored saw him dressed like that it would not be good. They would assume he had been sent by Soul Society to find them, despite the fact that Ichigo wore no Division insignia of any kind. They slipped into the store and then down into Kisuke's lab.

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Kisuke immediately began poking around to see what he had been doing at this time. "First things first," he muttered, going to where he stored gigai. "You can't go around in soul form, Ichigo," he called out. Where was it? And then he grinned and grabbed the one he had been looking for. "Here." He tossed the gigai to Ichigo who caught it and grimaced. "It's the same kind the Visored use, so you don't need to worry about getting out of it to fight."

"Thanks," Ichigo sighed but put it on and then looked down. "Clothes?" he would have blushed once but that had been a long time ago.

Kisuke went to a different area and tossed trousers and a shirt at him so Ichigo dressed. He looked around the lab and sighed. "No computer at this point," he pouted.

"Can we get back?" Shinji asked and Kisuke frowned, he'd been expecting that question.

"No. Our very presence here, especially Ichigo, has already altered the past, either our future no longer exists, or we have created an alternate timeline. Besides, do you really want to go back to a time where we are hunted and most of our friends are gone? Or would you like the chance to change it?" he smirked, knowing exactly what Aizen planned, when the Quincy would attack, they could change so much.

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Ichigo swallowed at that. Could they save his Mom? Had she even been born yet? That meant, his Dad was still a Captain. If they changed things, would they still meet? Wearing a gigai felt very strange, he'd never worn one before because after he died, everyone he knew could see his Shinigami form. He'd never had a reason to need one before, but he would get used to it. "What about the evil marble?"

"Hidden," Kisuke assured him.

"Well we need a better plan to get rid of it then shoving it in Rukia, if those events even happen," Ichigo pushed, arms crossed.

"Actually, I think you need to use it," Shinji offered and they both stared at him. "Kisuke, you were a liability in Hueco Mundo as the only pure Shinigami. You need the extra power and skills being a Visored gives."

Ichigo stayed still, eyes going from Shinji to Kisuke. It had been mentioned in passing, as something of a joke, when they were on the run. There had been no way to do it then but now? "Could you do it?" Ichigo asked. Several Shinigami used Kisuke's Shin'eiyaku during the war due to the Quincy habit of stealing Bankai, but that had been temporary.

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Kisuke stared at them in shock. He'd never really considered being Hollowfied. By the time it would have been useful, and he had seen Ichigo and Shiro work in such harmony and teach the other Visored to truly find balance, well, there had been no way to do it to anyone else. Being able to open a Garganta himself would definitely be handy. He wasn't overly concerned about having Benihime being Hollowfied and he knew that while she loathed Hollows, she was not against the procedure and was sure that their bond would remain strong through it. She would do anything to keep him safe and give him an advantage. The question was, could he do it? He had never fully worked out what Aizen had done to Shinji and the others, although having access to his Hōgyoku should theoretically mean he didn't need to know the method, he just had to want it badly enough. Did he? "I am not sure, I never found out exactly what was done to the Visored. The method used on you would not work either," the Shattered Shaft had worked so well for Ichigo because it had been Rukia's powers that were destroyed as well as the Hollow he had inherited from Masaki. "I could do it," he finally decided.

Kisuke looked at Ichigo and Shinji, seeing the flash of excitement and hope in their eyes and realised he had to do it. It hadn't been an issue in a time when there was no way to do it, now that there was he had to go through with it. Anything else would be seen as a rejection and he couldn't do that to them. No matter how often he told them he had no issues with their darker halves, there had always been doubt, easiest to see in Ichigo. If he refused to undergo the process they would see it as confirmation that he was unnerved, even scared, of their Hollows. He grabbed Ichigo's wrist and pulled him in, wrapping an arm around his waist. He felt the tension in Ichigo's body slowly drain away. "I will find a way," he promised softly and was rewarded with a cautious smile.

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Hearing Kisuke promise to find a way to become like them…it felt good. In some ways, the scientist had never fit in with them and Shinji knew that, despite their best efforts, it had been because he was Shinigami and not Visored. He hadn't been able to fully understand them, no matter how hard he tried. The Arrancar had been similar enough to them that the two groups had easily blended together. It would make things potentially harder when the time to face Aizen came since they would be revealed to the Shinigami then, and they would know that Kisuke hadn't been Hollowfied at the same time as they had.

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Ichigo found himself relaxing as Kisuke promised to find a way to become one of them. it eased the worry that was always there, that the ex-Captain would be too injured for them to heal. Thanks to the better relationships with their Hollows, the Visored all had some level of regeneration, making them a lot harder to kill than a Shinigami. He leant further into Kisuke as it really hit him, they were in the past…so far back he hadn't even been born yet, his Mom hadn't been born yet! So how could he exist? They had a chance to change things, to save everyone. He thought of his friends and family but…they wouldn't be his this time around. There'd be another Ichigo who would be their friend, wouldn't there? "Will I still be born?"

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Kisuke blinked, he hadn't even thought of that. "As long as Isshin and Masaki marry I don't see why not. That could make things awkward for you. The only thing I can think of is to use the Shiba name, it would be easy enough to pass you off as a distant relative since the Shiba tend to wander. Kaien is clan head at the moment, no one could doubt you are a Shiba with how much alike you two look, and the same reasoning could be used for the eventual children."

"Are you suggesting I go to Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, sounding rather alarmed.

"I hate to say it, but Kisuke might have an idea, there's a lot we don't know about the time we were exiled. You are able to hide Shiro totally so no one should suspect. Yoruichi can't be everywhere."

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Ichigo stared at them both. It was bad enough they were in a whole different time, but they wanted him to go to Soul Society alone? No, no way, he couldn't do it. He couldn't imagine being away from them, all alone amongst people he knew but didn't know him. "Please don't ask me to," he whispered, hands balled into fists and Kisuke held him closer, a hand going to run through his hair.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, you don't have to," he whispered and Ichigo relaxed again.

"So we have about fifty years before Aizen starts up again with the attack that brings your parents together. In that time we need to get the other Visored better trained, get Kisuke powered up and trained, anything else?" Shinji asked, slouching against the wall.

"Yeah, I think we can steal some of Aizen's army before he ever recruits them," Ichigo grinned, thinking of Nel and Starrk mainly but he knew if they could get to those like Harribel before Aizen then the odds were in their favour.

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Shinji nodded and then groaned. "I bolted out of the warehouse like a madman, think I threw Rose into a wall."

"They'll think your Hollow was influencing you," Ichigo winced and he nodded.

"Well, you'll just have to take Ichigo back with you," Kisuke told him and they both turned to stare at him.

"What?"

"Simple, your Hollow sensed his and that he was in trouble, so you acted. You found young Shiba Ichigo here having just escaped to the Living World, the victim of Aizen's further experimentation," Kisuke explained. "When asked, I shall provide background information on the young Shiba, gathered from Soul Society. Ichigo, I am sure you and Shiro can act as if you are newly changed?" he asked and Ichigo nodded slowly, looking at Shinji.

Shinji frowned but then nodded, honestly he couldn't think of any other way to keep in contact with Ichigo and begin to teach the others. "You able to keep up the act?"

"I have to," Ichigo shrugged.

"Unfortunately, you are looking a little too healthy," Kisuke warned and they both grimaced but Ichigo left the gigai and stepped back, holding his arms out. They groaned as they felt the Visored approaching, so much for Shinji taking him back with him, and they had to be able to sell Ichigo's cover story. "I'm sorry," Kisuke whispered before drawing Benihime.

Shinji left to intercept the others and begin spinning the story. He forced his breathing to remain steady, to not react to them. it had been a long time since some of them had died and seeing them alive again, healthy and as whole as they were at this point…it hurt.

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_I fixed some errors in ch2. Surprised no one commented on Rose suddenly being called Love later in the chapter_

**Chapter 3**

Kensei relaxed as he found Shinji waiting for them, eyes clear, though looking very serious as he looked them over. "What happened?"

Shinji ignored him to look Rose over which was good, he obviously realised what he had done. "Sorry Rose."

Rose nodded, accepting the apology, he'd had far worse than a not even all that powerful toss into a wall since they had been Hollowfied. "What happened?"

"It's complicated, come in but keep quiet. Kisuke's working to keep him stable," Shinji's answer was confusing, but they followed him into Kisuke's store and then down to the training room and through it to a lab where they froze in shock. Lying on a table in the room was an injured person….no, soul in a gigai. Naked with wounds that obviously came from a Zanpakutō but there could be no mistaking the clan the boy came from.

"A Shiba?" Kensei demanded, looking between Kisuke and Shinji.

"Apparently," Kisuke answered absently, tending to the wounds.

"He stable now?" Shinji asked.

"So far, the gigai is helping. No way to know what his mental state is like until he wakes." Kisuke finished his work and pulled a sheet over him to give some privacy.

"Shinji," Kensei growled and Shinji sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I felt him, that's what had me up and running. His Hollow called out to mine," he admitted.

"Hollow!" Hiyori demanded as they all tensed, hands drifting towards weapons.

"As far as I can tell, yes, he is one of you," Kisuke spoke up. "It appears he managed to drag himself to the Living World before passing out. If Shinji hadn't found him when he did and brought him here…well, we wouldn't be having this conversation. As it is, he is likely to be unconscious for some time. I will contact Yoruichi, see what she can discover, she is still close to Kūkaku, if he is from the main family she'll know. Though the Shiba wander so much it may be the clan is unaware of him, which would make him the perfect person to experiment on for Aizen."

They approached the table slowly, all curious as to this newly Hollowfied soul. He looked young, not in the same way as Mashiro or even Hiyori could, but there was a …softness to his features that spoke of someone not quite done with growing up. If he were human that would put his age somewhere between seventeen and maybe early twenties, on a soul it made it very hard to judge his possible age. Either way, just a kid and now saddled with the same curse as them. He'd never heard of a Shiba without the ability to be a Shinigami, even if few of the clan actually joined up, but there had been none of the clan amongst the ranks other than Kaien when they had been exiled. "Was he Shinigami?"

"Before Aizen's meddling? No way to know before he wakes up. After? Likely since all of the vanishing souls you were sent to investigate proves the process doesn't work on non-Shinigami."

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Kisuke was trying to remember how he had acted back this far, not the eccentric shopkeeper, not yet, but also not the nervous Captain. Ichigo was truly unconscious for which he was grateful, it had nearly killed him to cause the injuries he was now finishing treating. To raise his blade against the boy he had watched over for so long in order to truly cause harm…Benihime had screamed at him but even she had known it had to be done. Ichigo couldn't just pop up and be accepted, the Visored were even more suspicious at this time than they had been when he had told them of Ichigo's status as a teenager. They'd had a few precious minutes as he had begun working to hash out some of Ichigo's fake background, he would have been raised by his Mother with his sisters in Rukongai, knowing only that his Father was a Shiba but not his exact name. he had bene considering apply to the Academy to train as a Shinigami soon and he had been taken when walking in a wooded area. Everything else would have to be filled out later, he would do some of it in a file and Ichigo could always blame partial amnesia for a lot of missing information.

Everyone froze when Ichigo stirred, whimpering softly and Kisuke watched as Shinji moved to gently hush him, running a hand through wild orange locks. Ichigo pressed into the touch before settling and Kisuke hid a smile. Shinji had always been able to calm him, then again Shinji claimed the same of him which was ridiculous. After everything he had put Ichigo through, why would his presence calm the boy? Except he'd never really been a boy, had he? Forced to grow up far too quickly due to Isshin's childish behaviour so that he could look after his sisters. This time it would be different, Masaki would not die, they would make sure she lived a full life, even if she never met Isshin. If they married and had children, then she would be there to raise them right. Ichigo had loved Isshin, but he had not seen him as a Father, not truly and Kisuke didn't blame him.

"Can we move him?" Shinji asked and Kisuke shook his head.

"I wouldn't advise it, not yet."

"Then I'm staying."

"Shinji, is that wise?" Love asked.

"Love is right, you said his Hollow called out to yours, that has never happened before. Maybe it's best if you kept your distance for now?" Rose agreed with Love.

Shinji glared but backed away and Ichigo whimpered, beginning to thrash and Shinji immediately moved back, whispering softly to the younger male, calming him.

"It seems like Shinji will be staying. I'll have Tessai dig out the extra futons. I want him in here for the night but as long as he remains stable, we can move him into the training room tomorrow. I doubt waking in a lab will do his mental state any favours."

In the end Kensei and Mashiro stayed as well while the others returned to their current warehouse home, after Hachi added some extra security to the Shōten.

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"Think it's been long enough?" Ichigo asked from where he was leaning against a flag pole, tipping his head back to look up at Ossan.

The representation of his Quincy powers glanced down at him, almost smiling at the sight of Shiro with his head in Ichigo's lap. They had all come so far form that first meeting in the Shattered Shaft and now they had to find a way to change it all. "It has been several hours, as you know. Your wounds are well on the way to healing thanks to Urahara."

Shiro snorted. "Wouldn't need healin' if he hadn't cut us."

"It had to be done," Ichigo soothed his Zanpakutō spirit. He gently shifted him off his lap and stood, stretching. "Wish me luck," he offered before beginning to wake.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo groaned, shifting weakly and Shinji was instantly sitting up, gently taking a searching hand in his own, squeezing gently. "Easy kid, it's okay, you're safe," he whispered, hoping Ichigo realised from that they weren't alone. He felt the others wake and move closer but not too close. Slowly, amber eyes fluttered open, dazedly looking around before focusing on Shinji. "Hey," he greeted only to see Ichigo's eyes widen and the young man pull away. It hurt but he knew they had to do it. "Easy!" He held his hands up, empty. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"W…where?" Ichigo looked around in confusion and fear, seeing the others and he stiffened in alarm, scrambling back.

Shinji was impressed by Ichigo's acting, he'd definitely come a long way from the always scowling teen he'd fist met. "You're safe," Shinji repeated, waving the others off, relieved when they did as asked. "You're in the living world, we found you, injured and brought you here for healing. My name's Shinji."

"I…I...Ichigo," he stammered.

"You were hurt pretty badly when we found you, your wounds are still healing. Why don't you lie back down?" Shinji offered, fixing the futon up and then moving back, giving him the option. Next time he got Ichigo alone he was so congratulating him on his acting. Ichigo suddenly whimpered, hunching up, hand going to his head and Shinji felt Mashiro and Kensei tense. He moved closer, reaching out to gently run his fingers through Ichigo's hair. "Just breath, there's a voice, isn't there? Don't listen to it, focus on me. Push it back," he instructed as Ichigo struggled to calm his breathing. He pulled Ichigo into his arms and the boy slowly relaxed, dozing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kensei watched in total shock as Shinji calmed the kid down. He'd been sure they were about to meet the kids Hollow…what was going on? He didn't like it, why had Aizen done this? Had the kid actually escaped, or had he been sent? Was he a trap for them? For Shinji? He watched as Shinji held the kid who slowly went limp in his hold. At least they had a name for Kisuke to investigate.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo let his body gradually relax in Shinji's hold, head slumped against his shoulder. Acting scared of him wasn't easy and Shiro had been happy to help by pushing at his mind to make them think he was going to come out. He went so far as to nuzzle at Shinji, winking when he glanced down. He ached but it was the fading ache of healing wounds. It had hurt to make Kisuke attack him but there had been no other way to make their plan believable. He'd remained conscious the whole time, telling Kisuke over and over that it was okay, before he'd retreated to his inner world so as to appear unconscious when the others arrived. Being naked didn't even bother him, not like they'd never seen him like that before…in the future. He could feel the loose cloth of the clothes Kisuke had given him so at least he'd been redressed at some point. He pressed into the hand in his hair, one hand tangling in Shinji's shirt. "Want to go home," he mumbled, just loud enough for Kensei and Mashiro to hear.

"I know," Shinji whispered, rocking him. "Where's home?"

"48th district, West Rukongai," he muttered, eyes closing at the relaxing motion. "Want kaasan," he let himself drift into sleep, distantly feeling Shinji tighten his hold on him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hearing the kid, Ichigo, ask for his Mother…Kensei's hands balled into fists. If this kid was genuine then it just made him want to kill Aizen even more. They had been Shinigami, prepared to die in the line of duty, Ichigo was just a kid, not even an Academy student. He prayed Ichigo was genuine because Shinji was obviously already attached, and a glance down revealed tears in Mashiro's eyes. Even Kisuke appeared moved by the boy's whispered plea. Even if his Mother was back in Rukongai, Ichigo could never go back to her. one slip up and the Shinigami would descend on them and kill at least him, if not the whole family.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke swallowed hard at the sight and whispered words before slipping away to call a certain cat, he had to make the search genuine after all. He quickly gave her all the information they had on Ichigo and then went to work in his lab, needing time to think. It would be easy enough for everyone to assume his whole family dead when the search turned up nothing, dead or suffering in one of Aizen's labs. Ichigo had been smart to name a district none of them were from and while not the worst of districts, being just below the 50th, the living conditions were still far worse than in the lower districts.

Having Ichigo scramble away from them all had hurt, had brought up memories he had thought he had dealt with years ago. Ichigo had spent five months in the Wandenreich's hands before they had managed to rescue him but what they had gotten back hadn't been Ichigo. He'd been terrified of everything and everyone, hair long and lank, body not much more than skin and bone, scarred by torture. It had taken months of careful, gentle, care for his body to recover, his mind had taken longer, only recovering because of his spirits. They had protected him from much of what had happened, hiding his consciousness deep within. It had been almost a year before his personality and memories had emerged, before that he had been all instinct even as he healed, slowly learning to trust them, curling up in Shinji's lap or Chad's, even his. The biggest shock had been seeing him in Byakuya's arms a few times, the normally stern Captain with a soft expression as he soothed Ichigo.

The scars gained then would help their story of Ichigo being experimented on by Aizen, since the wounds he had given were healing quickly due to Shiro. It was obvious Ichigo was using that time to help his act now and it made him want to hit something, preferable Yhwach himself. The Quincy emperor had been too fascinated by Ichigo from the start though they all knew why, Ichigo's hybrid status had been what had enabled him to fight against them so well. Unohana had agreed with Kisuke when they went over the injuries and various things Ichigo had reacted to once rescued, they had been trying to train him into turning against Soul Society. Good thing the kid was the most stubborn soul in existence, even with his conscious mind locked away there had been enough of him left to fight their training. That he had recovered fully was a miracle, if anything he had come out stronger from the experience. He had admitted that he didn't remember a lot of it past the first month or so, even in dreams which had been another relief.

So Ichigo acting the scared, abused kid hurt, even if he knew that this time it was just that, an act.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Shinji gently settled the sleeping Ichigo back into the blankets and shifted his own bed closer.

"Shinji," Kensei called and he looked over at the other ex-Captain. "Be careful. I know you want him to be a scared kid, but this could be a trap. We've never heard of an inner hollow reaching out to another. This could all be part of Aizen's plans."

Shinji looked down at Ichigo. How could he assure Kensei it wasn't when he was meant to know nothing of Ichigo? "I know," he finally whispered. "But I can't just turn my back, not when he could be genuine. Even if it is a trap, we can turn it back on him, help Ichigo be on our side."

Kensei stared hard at him before finally nodding. He didn't lay down, obviously deciding to keep watch.

Convincing them of Ichigo's loyalty was not going to be easy, then again, the kid had won them all over within weeks the last time round. There was just something about him that could turn enemies into allies and even friends, pity it didn't work on Aizen or Yhwach.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 4**

Ichigo woke up slowly, feeling the presence of several Visored and for a moment past and present merged before he remembered what had happened. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly, looking around, finding he'd been sleeping against Shinji, no surprise there. He could feel eyes on him, so he made sure to look confused, like he didn't know exactly where he was. He found Kensei asleep with Mashiro sitting up beside him, watching Ichigo.

"Hi," she smiled at him and Ichigo gave a small smile. "I'm Mashiro, it's nice to meet you."

"Ichigo," he offered, it was odd, seeing her restrain her normally bouncy self, or had she been more withdrawn at this point? "Where are we?" he asked, bringing his knees up to lean on.

"Living world, Karakura Town in Japan."

"Are you…human?" he asked, trying for the right mix of wary and curious.

"We're souls, like you." She got up and moved closer.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Shinji opened his eyes, listening as Mashiro talked with Ichigo, her usual enthusiasm dampened, for Ichigo's sake? He sat up and stretched and Ichigo immediately focused on him. "Good morning kiddo," he greeted. "How're ya feeling?"

"Sore," he admitted. "Confused."

"Understandable," he stood up. "Hungry?" Ichigo considered it before nodding and he grinned. "I'll be back," he left nudging Kensei awake as he passed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke looked up as Shinji emerged from the underground area, surprised to see he'd left Ichigo alone with the others.

"We're all hungry," the blonde offered and Kisuke waved him towards the kitchen.

"How is our young guest?"

"Sore and confused was his answer when I asked. He's sitting up and talking though so that's an improvement," Shinji talked while preparing a pot of tea and some light food.

Kisuke nodded and followed him down into the training room to find the three sitting around.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo immediately looked at the ladder when Shinji appeared, making Kensei frown slightly at the awareness the two appeared to have of each other. It was strange and that worried him, but the boy seemed genuinely confused, scared even. If he was a trap, Kensei didn't think Ichigo was aware of it. The Reiatsu Concealing Gigai hid all sign so it was impossible to judge how powerful he was, but if he was a Shiba then he likely had a good amount.

"Here," Shinji put the tray down, pouring the tea out and handing the kid a mug which he wrapped his hands around.

"Cold?" Urahara asked and the boy nodded, amber eyes watching them all closely. "I will adjust the temperature," he moved away to do just that and soon the temperature rose a little.

"Thank you," Ichigo whispered slowly lifting the tea to sip.

Kensei wondered how long the kid had been in Aizen's hands to be so grateful for some warmth and tea. From the tremble in his hands when he ate…it had been a while, or he'd been hiding since then and not getting enough food. "Eat slowly," he warned, and the boy nodded. They let him eat his fill in peace, knowing he needed the nourishment.

"I understand you are likely still tired Ichigo, but we have some questions," Urahara began and the boy stiffened warily.

"I..I won't go back," he drew back from them slightly, eyes wide.

"We aren't sending ya anywhere," Shinji stepped him, moving closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We need to know what happened to you, and who did it. We want to help."

"I just went for a walk," he admitted softly. "We'd argued, about me attending Shin'ō Academy. I…I don't know what happened, but I woke up somewhere cold. There were voices."

"Can you tell me how many?" Shinji asked and Kensei stayed quiet, he knew he wasn't the most comforting.

Ichigo considered it for a few moments. "Three maybe? One sounded younger….they were arguing….one of them was upset cause I wasn't a Shinigami. The other, I think he was in charge, he sounded really cold, he said it didn't matter, that I was powerful enough," he shivered. It hurt…so bad…I wanted to die…" he shivered, hugging himself.

The four exchanged horrified looks. Three people, it had to be Aizen, Tōsen, and Ichimaru. "Take your time kid," Kensei offered gruffly and the boy looked at him, eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"I'd wake up in a little room, but they always came back, sometimes just one, sometimes all of them. I tried to get away, but I couldn't and then…" he looked away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Did you hear a voice in your head?" Mashiro asked and his head shot around towards hr, eyes wide.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Ah, that is normal for a Shinigami. Our Zanpakutō have a spirit within, that is a reflection of our soul," Kisuke explained, jumping in. He was very impressed with how Ichigo was doing, this was more than just acting the scared kid, he was having to make up much of his story on the spot. At least he'd been around enough Shinigami to know better than to give his real age if asked, no one would believe it. Of course, should anyone be in hearing distance when the confrontation with Aizen came, the story would fall apart.

"Does the voice have a name?" Mashiro asked, letting some of her normal excitement through and Ichigo nodded.

"There's two," Ichigo told them, shocking them but it had to be done. It would be too hard to hide that he was a duel wielder when he had to keep his skills sharp for what was to come, then again he'd have to pretend to not know how to fight, not that he'd ever really received training beyond beating up those who attacked him when he was young and then whatever he picked up once he became a Substitute.

"Two?" Shinji asked, eyes wide. "Are they the same?"

Ichigo shook his head. "They're Zangetsu. Ossan is…calm, Shiro is different…like a mirror of me but all white."

Kisuke watched the Visored stiffen at the colour, though he knew Shinji was faking the reaction. He'd met both of Ichigo's spirits, they all had at some point. Ichigo's crazy power levels had allowed them to manifest, to fight at his side when needed. Shiro was not as insane and heartless as he had first appeared so many years ago when he had fought Ichigo for control of his body.

"Does he have a mask?" Kensei asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"No, just a Shinigami uniform that's coloured the opposite to normal. His eyes are…different, black and gold. His voice is echoey too."

"Kind of sounds like an inner hollow."

"To Hollowfy only half the Zanpakutō though?" Kensei argued.

"He may not have used the same process as Ichigo was not previously a Shinigami."

"Same process?" Ichigo looked between them all. "You know…who…."

"The same process the bastard used on us," Shinji answered. "Other than Kisuke, we were all used in an experiment by a man we once worked with. He had two others with him."

"You think the same men took me?"

"It sounds like it. They have been performing illegal experiments on souls, Shinigami and Hollows for many years. Unfortunately they are too good at covering their tracks, hence my own exile, accused of their crimes," Kisuke explained as basically as possible, as if this was new to Ichigo. Obviously he couldn't give too much information as they were meant to be wary of him being a trap or spy, but it was annoying when he knew Ichigo. He knew Shinji and Ichigo were feeling the same frustration but that didn't make it better.

"How'd you get away?" Kensei asked.

"When I was in the room, Zangetsu would pull me into a world of tall buildings but they're all sideways. They gave me swords and we fought; they'd teach me. We noticed there were times I was left alone longer, and we used one of them. They helped me get out, Shiro did something and there was this hole and I went through….don't remember anything after that."

Brief yet to the point, though he'd likely have to elaborate at some point. At least he wasn't likely to forget the details.

"So…how old are you Ichigo?" Mashiro asked and Kisuke waited with bated breath, hoping he remembered to lie.

"Forty…I think...don't really know how long I was there."

Kisuke bit back a laugh and knew Shinji was as well, as dead silence met his answer. It wasn't a lot older than his actual age anymore, but it was more believable than his actual thirty three.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: not mine._

**Chapter 5**

"Now that you are conscious, I would like to exam you again to ensure you are healing properly. I give you my word, nothing invasive and if you ask me to stop I will," Kisuke offered seriously and Shinji could tell it surprised the other two.

Ichigo looked nervously between them before spacing out for a second, making Kensei and Mashiro tense slightly. "Promise?" he asked Kisuke who nodded.

"I promise. These three will be quite willing to beat me up for you if needed," he offered with a grin and Ichigo smiled for a second before nodding.

"Okay."

"This way please," Kisuke rose and offered a playful bow, one hand motioning towards his lab and Ichigo scrambled up, walking cautiously with him while looking around as if he'd never see the place before. Maybe if they changed things so this timelines Ichigo got to live free then he'd be an actor.

Shinji sat back against a rock and stared seriously at the other two Visored. It was hard, to not let the memories of how they died overwhelm him, but he forced them back. "Well?"

"He's a baby," Mashiro said, eyes wide.

That made Shinji snicker briefly before running a hand through his hair. "Year wise sure, but physically he's pretty much an adult and mentally…I don't want to try and imagine what they put him through or how long they had him for."

"We don't know how much time he lost, my guess is he's older than he thinks," Kensei agreed with Shinji. "What now?"

"Either he comes with us or stays here. He's going ta need training that Urahara can't give though." And it was going to be a pain for Ichigo to fake being a total rookie but what else could they do? A bit of skill could be explained away as natural talent for a Shiba and training against his spirits in his inner world but Ichigo was one of the best fighters he'd ever known.

"He's a possible security risk," Kensei warned sternly. "If he has been exposed to Aizen's Shikai then even if he believes himself to be with us, we may end up having to fight him or at the least have him telling the enemy where we are."

"We've all seen it, we're all risks. Likely ever new Captain and Lieutenant carried the same risk, they just don't know it," Shinji pointed out.

"He's one of us! If we don't help him then who will?" Mashiro glared at Kensei who glared back.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo sat on the table, legs swinging absently as Kisuke pretended to give him a thorough check up.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly as he worked and Ichigo shrugged.

"Am I ever not okay?"

That got a stern look from the scientist and then he was yanked into a hug, leaning against Kisuke, accepting the comfort. "You don't have to stay with them," he whispered.

"How suspicious would it be if I didn't?"

Kisuke sighed but nodded. Having been held captive and experimented on, it would seem strange for him to want to remain at the Shōten.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yoruichi studied the message from Kisuke in shock and horror. She would need to get in contact with Kūkaku, see if they could find any information on the boy and the fate of his Mother, though it was possible the Clan had no idea they existed. If the kid had managed to enter the Academy he likely would have come to Kaien's attention and taken fully into the clan.

Aizen had gotten better at covering his tracks, back to taking those who were unlikely to be missed. Kisuke had said he wouldn't have survived without help for much longer, how many others had 'disappeared' because of the madman. She wouldn't tell Kūkaku the kid was alive or now a Visored, the last thing the Shiba needed was to lose the clans status when they tried to avenge the boy. Aizen was a Captain now, liked and respected and with his Zanpakutō no one would believe them. Hopefully one day they could introduce the kid to his clan.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kaien looked at the information Kūkaku had tried to keep from him. The attached picture made the boys parentage obvious. He'd known his sister was in contact with Yoruichi, that she had helped Urahara and the Hollowfied Shinigami escape. That had made him doubt the announcement of Urahara's guilt from the start. There was nothing in there about why they wanted information on this…Ichigo, but he could guess. It was strange how much like him the kid looked, other than hair and eye colour.

Tomorrow was his day off, he would head out to the correct District and make his own enquiries. Despite no mention of it in the information, he was sure the kid was alive and wherever Urahara was hidden, likely the Living World. Had he been experimented on too? What had his little cousin suffered? More importantly, who had taken him? He was a clan head; it was time he started investigating things himself.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo walked close to Shinji, everyone on alert since as far as they knew Aizen and his group could be looking for him. They made it to the warehouse where Hachi was waiting to let Ichigo in through the protections. Ichigo froze and stared at the large Visored with wide eyes.

"It's okay, this is Hachi, he's one of us," Shinji told him. He guided Ichigo inside to where the others were waiting.

He hated acting like they were all strangers but there was no other choice. He let his gaze wander over the group, seeing some differences from when he'd met them the first time in clothing. They had dressed modernly during his time and some of those fashions didn't exist yet.

"Everyone, this is Ichigo," Shinji announced before introducing them to their newest member.

The suspicion in many of the looks hurt, but he couldn't blame them and tried not to take it personally. As far as they knew, he could be a plant, willing or not. They didn't know that Aizen had no interest on them since they were just hiding. He doubted they'd take that well either, knowing he didn't consider them any kind of threat. And in the Winter War he'd been right, they could wipe out Menos easily and had fought the Espada on pretty equal footing, they were no threat to him. Not then and definitely not now. The three of them would need to find a way to push the Visored closer to the levels they'd had during the Quincy War.

"Let's find you somewhere to sleep, okay?" Mashiro asked and Ichigo nodded, following her from the main room of the warehouse.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo sat on the ground, legs crossed and eyes closed, meditating under Love's watch. Kisuke had delivered an 'Asauchi' a few days ago and he was meant to be working with his spirits to make it his Zanpakutō. It was a fake and the two would absorb it since he had gained an Asauchi years ago during the Quincy War. He was only allowed to work under supervision for safety.

At least after three weeks they were beginning to relax around him. He was still having to act jumpy because there was no way anyone would recover from that kind of trauma so quickly but he'd been able to cut back on things a bit. He spent most of his time with Shinji, learning things he hadn't last time or that he'd been rushed through. They were all helping put him through a modified curriculum since he didn't need to learn what was covered in some classes like the ones on paperwork.

He'd shared a few things, like his sisters, with them. He knew if he kept too many secrets it would affect their trust. Kisuke had come by the day before with the news that no sign of his Mother and sisters could be found anywhere, leaving them to assume they had been taken or killed. That had led to Mashiro latching on to him, hugging him, and he had let himself collapse against her in grief, remembering Yuzu and Karin and making a promise to himself, this time they would survive.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rose stood opposite their newest and youngest member, Zanpakutō held loosely as he studied how the boy stood. "Good," he nodded and then he moved in, slowly. Thankfully, he had covered some Zanjutsu classes at the Academy before becoming a Captain so he knew how to teach. He was not the swordsman Shinji was but he was definitely good enough to teach a beginner, even one who likely had the normal Shiba instinct for battle.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lisa watched as Ichigo went red, turning his head away and she smirked. Seemed he was a bit innocent, despite growing up in one of the higher-level Districts. Then again, it was still one in the forties, even if it was close to fifty, so it wasn't as bad as many.

She wasn't sure what she thought of the kid. In the almost two months he'd been with them he'd begun to settle. She didn't blame him for being easily startled or wary of them, not when he'd spent who knew how long as Aizen's captive. Frankly, it was amazing he was as well as he was. His injuries had healed well, not surprising with how close his Hollow was. Ichigo hadn't lost control once. She was pretty sure that was part of Hiyori's issue with him, she had struggled so much and yet here was someone who had never even attend the Academy beating her when it came to his inner Hollow.

She really hoped the kid was who and what he seemed to be because if he wasn't they were in serious trouble. He was a prodigy when it came to combat and a dual wielder at that. Once his blades had formed she'd stepped in with his training since she'd been Kyōraku's lieutenant she knew more than the rest about the techniques for fighting with two blades. Already he could likely take out an unseated officer. Then there was how close he and Shinji were, which had been odd to see but they meshed so well. That worried all of them, they'd never heard each other's inner Hollow so how had Shinji heard Ichigo's call for help.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke straightened from his work bench, stretching. It was amazing how just sixty years had made him feel so much older…though perhaps it had been the stress of knowing things had been coming to a head? Compared to how he'd felt by the time they were on the run he felt as good as someone Ichigo's age now.

He remembered everything he had worked on over the decades, everything he had invented, every strategy, and now he had more time to perfect things. This time should the Winter War happen, he would do far more than just slap some seals on Aizen and then throw Ichigo at him.

There was also his promise to Ichigo and Shinji to undergo Hollowfication himself. The sooner that happened the better as it would take time to learn how to use the power. Will Benihime was behind the move, they did not know how it would affect her, how long it would take for them to get back to normal. Unlike Ichigo, he would not have the benefit of a second spirit to help him after all. Appearing to undergo the process willingly would raise too many questions, no, it would have to appear to have been an accident. Lab accidents happened, he had lost count of the times he had blown himself up over the centuries, an accident with the Hōgyoku would be much harder to fake than a normal accident. It would take planning but also time. Explaining the stone being out would be easy enough, he had used it to help stabilise Ichigo.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo hit the ground hard, ignoring the snickering from Shiro. The often blood thirsty spirit found it hilarious when Ichigo had to let the others kick him around. If they knew he could take them all as they were at the moment they would never trust him. Then again, Shinji could do the same, so could Kisuke. They had over sixty years more experience after all, not to mention the power they had all gained during the Quincy War and then on the run.

He couldn't wait until he could start showing more skill, when he could start pushing them in battle to get them to improve. They had stagnated while in hiding the first time, they had trained and hadn't really lost any skill, but they hadn't gained a lot either. Other than Mashiro they had still all had such short time limits with their masks too. They had to be able to hold them as long as needed to be effective in War. Though he was hoping it wouldn't come to an all-out war this time….but if it didn't then Soul Society wouldn't get the kick in the butt needed to improve before facing the Quincy.

He scrambled up to find Kensei almost on him and he brought one blade up to block, the other he used to attack and he saw the brief look of approval.

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Sorry for the long wait._

**Chapter 6**

Kisuke picked up his Hōgyoku, staring at it. So much trouble over such a small object but even if he had never made his own, Aizen would have had his incomplete one. Still…he never would have dared implant that one into his own body. And now he was planning to use his own for the first time since he'd stabilised Shinji and the others.

Everything was set up and now he just had to do it. Tessai was in the shop and the accident would trigger the alarms which meant help would arrive swiftly. He felt Benihime stir, offering quiet strength. They could do this.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo nearly jumped as an alarm went off. "What is it?" he asked, looking around warily.

"That's the emergency alarm from the Shōten," Love answered, standing. He glanced at Ichigo, hesitating, but they were the only ones in the warehouse. That specific alarm had to be triggered, it was calling for help. "Come on but you follow my orders. I tell you to run back here, you do it as fast as possible, understand?" he asked, firm but also as kind as he can be under the circumstances.

The boy looked nervous, but he nodded and secured his sealed Zanpakutō. "Ready."

"Stay close," he ordered and then they were off. They raced through the night and he was glad they'd been teaching the kid since he was keeping up and Love picked up the pace a bit, relieved when the Shōten came into view.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo was worried but…he had the feeling he might know what was going on. That didn't mean he was any less worried though since there was no way to be one hundred percent sure whatever Kisuke had done would work. What…what if he couldn't take it and he died? No, Kisuke was strong and Benihime would not allow that to happen.

They reached the edge of the protections around the store, finding them fully up but Tessai appeared to let them in. He frowned when he saw only the two of them. "Hachi?"

"We were the only ones home, what's happened?" Love asked in concern, hand on his blade.

"Come, see." He let them in, and they followed him down into the training ground and then Kisuke's lab which looked like a few bombs had gone off. Lying on the floor…was Kisuke, writhing in pain.

"What happened?" Love asked in alarm and Tessai pointed to a certain marble.

"He hadn't sealed it away since helping Ichigo," Tessai told them even as Ichigo slipped passed them to kneel beside Kisuke, taking one hand in his, squeezing gently.

"Ichigo move away, that's Hollowfication, he won't be in control," Love warned.

Sure enough, white liquid was beginning to appear, although Kisuke wasn't screaming. Ichigo remembered screaming but he'd been at risk of fully turning into a Hollow since he'd been a normal human spirit at the time. Kisuke groaned, eyelids fluttering and Love hesitantly joined Ichigo.

"Urahara, can you hear me?" he asked, Shinji had remained conscious and even able to fight further into the process. They had been knocked out by Aizen's group so maybe they would have too.

Glassy grey eyes opened to slits, struggling to focus. "L…" he choked out. He coughed and Ichigo fought not cringe at the sight of the white material forcing its way from his mouth.

It hadn't been like this for him. He'd been in agony from the Encroachment, but he didn't remember anything quite like this. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked and then he was up, hand on his blade as he sensed movement only to stand down as Shinji and the others appeared.

"Let's get him out of this mess," Shinji ordered, drawing Ichigo away as Kensei and Love picked the writhing Shinigami up between them, carrying him out into the training room where Hachi was setting up barriers.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Shinji kept Ichigo close as they watched from outside of the barriers. Ichigo had never seen the process before though from Kisuke's explanation of the Shattered Shaft and Ichigo's occasional talk of that time, Ichigo's own experience had been different. "You don't have to watch kid," Shinji offered, the others would accept it since Ichigo was barely out of the lab himself.

Sure enough, the others glanced over in concern, seeing how tense and pale Ichigo was.

"No…" he shook his head, pressing closer to Shinji who wrapped an arm around him. "He helped me; I won't leave him."

They all winced slightly as Kisuke screamed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke groaned, not really wanting to wake up. He felt like he'd gone up against Aizen again. He tried to move, to curl up or get up but found he couldn't and that brought a wave panic which he shoved back. He'd never done well with being restrained. He felt familiar fingers in his hair and automatically relaxed some. Ichigo was there and free, he would get him free. He pressed into Ichigo's touch to let him know he was conscious.

"Kisuke?" and that was Shinji.

He struggled to force his eyes open, blinking blearily, Shinji slowly coming into focus. What had happened?

"Hey, you with us?"

"Shin...ji?" he croaked, throat and mouth parched. A bottle was pressed to his lips and he sipped the water.

"Take it easy, you blew yourself up, again idiot," Shinji chided and Kisuke frowned in confusion. His labs were long gone…

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, sounding scared, why was he scared?

"Restraints?" he asked.

"Do ya remember what happened?" Shinji pushed and Kisuke realised something was very wrong.

What had happened? he reached for Benihime and gasped in shock.

"Easy Kisuke, breath, stay calm," Shinji urged.

He...he was…oh. Now he remembered. So it had worked. "I…I'm alright Ichigo," he told the younger hybrid. He'd done it, he was Visored now.

"You feel in control? Can we let you up?" Lisa called and he realised the others were with them…in his training room.

Kisuke nodded and felt the bonds vanish, familiar hands helping him sit up, leaning against their owner as his head spun briefly. He tipped his head back to see Ichigo looking down at him in concern, managing a tired smile for him. "How long?"

"It's been four days since Tessai found you," Shinji answered. "You passed out ten hours ago."

"That would explain the weakness," he admitted and then his stomach growled. "And that."

Shinji laughed and then Tessai was there with a bowl of soup.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hiyori watched her ex-Captain as he was helped to his feet, the boy supporting him. She was torn over what to feel. When they'd woken up and found out what had happened, she'd been so angry at him. She'd stayed angry too, with every failed attempt to fix them, it had hurt worse. Now she wasn't sure how to feel. The idiot had made a stupid mistake and now he was like them. What kind of fool didn't lock that thing up once done with it? None of them knew how to use it, he could have died. He'd gotten very, very lucky and somehow stabilised instead of needing someone to do that for him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke sighed as he lay on his futon, body still aching which he knew was normal. He was surprised to feel another body join him, pulling him up against their chest, the heat seeping into his aching muscles. He relaxed in the familiar embrace and then Shinji was sitting in front of them, the privacy barriers up.

"How do ya really feel?" he asked gently and Kisuke managed a tired smile.

"Achy and tired, strange."

"Yeah, it takes a lot of gettin' used to. Get some sleep, we'll be staying. No one's goin' to leave ya alone, just in case. I think Ichigo's planning to stay right here. How's her highness?"

"Unsettled but not out of control or raving," he assured them.

"Okay, give a shout if you need anything."

Shinji left them and Ichigo tugged him closer, hand gently running up and down his arm.

"You scared me," he whispered.

"Sorry," he answered, exhaustion pulling him down.

"Go to sleep, I've got your back."

Literally. That had been the hardest part of being back, being suddenly alone. He'd been having trouble sleeping without the others of their small rebel group around. With Ichigo wrapped around him falling asleep was suddenly easy.

_TBC…_

_Very short I know but better than nothing._


End file.
